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U.S. public vehicle records

2018 Kia SORENTO problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

252 owner complaints analyzed

3 distinct recall campaigns

49,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2018 model year. Data snapshot: . 69 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Engine is the most frequently named component, appearing in 104 of 252 complaints (41.3%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
TopicMatching reportsShare of complaints
Steering behavior3011.9%
Engine operation187.1%
Braking behavior187.1%
Electrical and battery issues176.7%
Fuel system concerns41.6%
Transmission and shifting31.2%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Engine
104
Exterior Lighting
38
Unknown Or Other
37
Electrical System
28
Steering
26
Fuel/Propulsion System
13
Air Bags
10
Power Train
9
Component breakdown data
CategoryCount
Engine104
Exterior Lighting38
Unknown Or Other37
Electrical System28
Steering26
Fuel/Propulsion System13
Air Bags10
Power Train9

Engine: 104; Exterior Lighting: 38; Unknown Or Other: 37; Electrical System: 28; Steering: 26; Fuel/Propulsion System: 13; Air Bags: 10; Power Train: 9

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000
25
25,000 to 49,999
11
50,000 to 74,999
15
75,000 to 99,999
8
100,000 to 149,999
8
150,000 and above
2
Reported problems by failure mileage data
CategoryCount
Under 25,00025
25,000 to 49,99911
50,000 to 74,99915
75,000 to 99,9998
100,000 to 149,9998
150,000 and above2

Under 25,000: 25; 25,000 to 49,999: 11; 50,000 to 74,999: 15; 75,000 to 99,999: 8; 100,000 to 149,999: 8; 150,000 and above: 2

Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (25). 183 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2017
1
2018
11
2019
16
2020
21
2021
12
2022
35
2023
41
2024
49
2025
41
2026
25
Complaints over time data
CategoryCount
20171
201811
201916
202021
202112
202235
202341
202449
202541
202625

2017: 1; 2018: 11; 2019: 16; 2020: 21; 2021: 12; 2022: 35; 2023: 41; 2024: 49; 2025: 41; 2026: 25

Pattern summary

Engine leads the component reports. Steering behavior appears in 30 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 18 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 18 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 11156920 · 2018-12-07 (December 7, 2018)

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY, THE STEERING SEEMS TO STICK TO THE RIGHT. THIS HAS NOT BEEN NOTICED WHILE DRIVING IN TOWN. THIS DOES NOT ALWAYS HAPPEN. IT IS RANDOM. I HAVE HAD THE CAR FOUR MONTHS AND IT HAS BEEN NOTICED 4 TIMES.

Owner-reported narrative. 18,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11156920 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11161228 · 2018-12-13 (December 13, 2018)

STICKING STEERING THEN GIVES WHEN CONSTANT PRESSURE APPLIED MAKING A SIGNIFICANT SUDDEN STEERING MOVEMENT. HAPPENS WHEN DRIVING. SEEMS MORE ON RIGHT THAN LEFT. STARTED NOTICING IT A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO. HAVE NOT CHANGED ANYTHING. HAPPENS WHEN EVER DRIVING.

Owner-reported narrative. 4,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11161228 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11140494 · 2018-10-15 (October 15, 2018)

GOT 2018 KIA SORRENTO 9 THOUSAND MILES IT STALL 6 TIMES LAST WEEK TOOK IT TO KIA THAY SAY NOTHING WRONG WITH IT THIS SATURDAY IT STALL 2 MORE TIMES THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO DIE BIG RIG HAD TO BRAKE FAST NOW IM TAKEING IT IN TUES SO NOW THAY CAN HAVE IT FOR A LONGTIME SO THAY CAN GIVE IT BACK BECAUSE THE CODE WILL NOT DO NOTHING IF IT DONT STALL ON THEM SO WHAT SHOULD I DO I OWE THE BACK I PAY ON MY CAR EVERY MONTH I DONT WANT ANYONE GETTING HURT OR SUE BECAUSE I CANT DRIVE IT AND BEING SCARD OF IT

Owner-reported narrative. 8,099 miles reported. Look up ODI 11140494 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11180896 · 2019-02-18 (February 18, 2019)

OVER THE LAST 6 MONTHS MY KIA HAS STARTED TO ACT LIKE IT IS GOING TO DIE OR STALL WHILE DRIVING AND/OR IDLING. THIS HAS HAPPENED AT VARIOUS DIFFERENT SPEEDS. I TOOK MY KIA INTO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND EXPLAINED WHAT WAS HAPPENING. THEY RAN SOME DIAGNOSTIC TESTS AND STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE IT. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT NEVER COMES ON. IN DECEMBER, I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR THE ENGINE CONTROL UNIT. THIS RECALL WAS COMPLETED AND NOW LESS THAN A MONTH LATER THE SHAKING LIKE MY CAR IS GOING TO STALL IS STILL HAPPENING INTERMITTENTL…

Owner-reported narrative. 18,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11180896 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11055415 · 2017-12-18 (December 18, 2017)

2018 KIA SORENTO SXL THE AEB ( AUTONOMOUS EMERGENCY BRAKING ) DOES NOT WORK AS ADVERTISED OR EXPECTED..THIS FEATURE IS ADVERTISED AS AEB AND ALSO ON THE ELECTRONIC DASH AS AEB BUT ACCORDING TO THE VERY DEFINITION OF AUTONOMOUS MEANING WITHOUT HUMAN INTERVENTION TO STOP THE VEHICLE TO AVOID A CRASH DOES NOT WORK AND CAN NOT BE RELIED ON TO AVOID ANY TYPE OF CRASH AT ANY SPEED AND I HOPE THE SAFETY BOARD WILL MAKE KIA TAKE ACTION TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM POST HAST. THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER SHOP AND THEY ASSURE ME ALL IS WORKING AND …

Owner-reported narrative. 510 miles reported. Look up ODI 11055415 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11246461 · 2019-08-26 (August 26, 2019)

ON 8-23-19 AT APPROX. O805HRS I ARRIVED AT MY DESTINATION AND PARKED MY KIA SORENTO. I HAD DRIVEN THE KIA SORENTO FROM MY RESIDENCE TO VANCOUVER, WA AND DURING THIS TRAVEL PERIOD THE KIA SORENTO FUNCTIONED AS USUAL WITH NO INDICATION OF MECHANICAL, ELECTRICAL OR FUNCTIONALITY OF THE VEHICLE. I PARKED THE KIA AND ENTERED THE BUILDING. AT APPROX. 0840 A CO-WORKER INDICATED THE KIA HAD SMOKE COMING FROM THE KIA'S ENGINE COMPARTMENT. I EXITED THE BUILDING TO SEE A SMALL HAZE OF SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, WHICH BEGAN TO INCREASE. I…

Owner-reported narrative. 13,139 miles reported. Look up ODI 11246461 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11270532 · 2019-10-23 (October 23, 2019)

IN JANUARY 2019 A RECALL WAS DONE ON MY VEHICLE. A FEW DAYS LATER, I WAS TRAVELING OUT OF STATE. I WAS ON THE INTERSTATE DRIVING 70 MILES PER HOUR WHEN THE CAR LOST POWER. LUCKILY THERE WAS NO ONE BEHIND ME. I WAS TOLD THAT THE RECALL SENT THE CAR INTO LIMP MODE BECAUSE THE ENGINE WAS BAD. MY CAR WAS IN THE SHOP FOR OVER 4 MONTHS IN WISCONSIN. I LIVE IN IOWA. LONG STORY SHORT, KIA CAME UP WITH NEW DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND AFTER 4 MONTHS THEY DECIDED I DID NOT NEED AN ENGINE AND IT WAS MY WIRING HARNESS THAT WAS THE PROBLEM. 2 MONTHS LATER,…

Owner-reported narrative. 7,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 11270532 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11439410 · 2021-11-04 (November 4, 2021)

Over I’d say about the last 5-7 months my husband and I have been noticing the smell of fuel coming from what/where seems to be the gas tank area and we have on an occasion or 2 noticed very small drops on the ground also around the gas tank area. Shortly after we began noticing the smell of gas, one day after re-fueling when I went to put the gas cap back on I noticed that the cap went back on but it wouldn’t make that signature clicking sound that lets you know it’s properly in place and sealed properly so we purchased a replacement one from …

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11439410 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11679919 · 2025-08-11 (August 11, 2025)

* High pressure fuel pump quick disconnect fuel line fitting leaking fuel. * Raw fuel leaking poses a risk of fire and danger to the vehicle occupants. Raw fuel leaking in a closed in area as it did in my garage could have lead to an explosion due ignition of the fuel vapors. * My vehicle was repaired by a KIA dealership. The dealership noted that they've seen this issue several times in the past few months including one instance where the fuel line fitting actually fell off. The dealership acknowledged this failure hasn't yet become a recall…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11679919 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11477551 · 2022-08-04 (August 4, 2022)

The contact's daughter owns a 2018 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal ticking noise detected. The vehicle lost motive power and stalled with the check engine warning light flashing. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who informed the contact that the knock sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was…

Owner-reported narrative. 57,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11477551 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11668487 · 2025-06-22 (June 22, 2025)

The car is not able to shift out of park unless the shift interlock release button is depressed. This issue has occurred intermittently in the last year but has been consistent in the past few weeks of the submission of the complaint.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11668487 at NHTSA ↗